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Travel Log- Cleveland Ohio   (1 of 3)

During travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, we had a brief side trip to Cleveland, (that's a long, irrelevant story for another time and place.) And you know me, of course I took a good look around at the airport when we arrived.


The first thing I noticed was the flooring.



I could definitely see some patterns and color choices that might translate into a future project.

Then I noticed this 10 foot painted guitar... intriguing...

Flower Power, by Jacqueline Kahane Freedman

Cleveland is the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and scattered throughout the airport (and in other places around the city) are these massive decorated guitars. They are sponsored by businesses; a public art project which benefits education programs at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, as well as the United Way of Greater Cleveland. 

Geartar, by Pat Downey

There was built in entertainment for the young at heart - this Rube Goldberg-esque installation sponsored by Akron Children's Hospital. Bright colors and moving parts, who wouldn't want to give this a whirl?


I also ran across this gallery on the way out of the building. Donald Black Jr, a photographer from Cleveland was displaying his lovely black and white photos in a collection entitled A Beautiful Burden.


So much visual stimulation! I love it!! But it got me to wondering... 

An airport is always a very busy venue. Whatever city you're flying into or out of, people are moving quickly through its corridors, right over those well-designed walkways. Why bother to dress it up? 

I can think of many reasons to enhance our surroundings. One would be that art speaks to everyone. It touches us at an emotional level, and we seldom need an interpreter to know how we feel about it. Those visceral reactions can be a bonding experience with other viewers, it unites us to the humanity in all of us. (That is, when we stop to look and ponder.) Wouldn't we all be enriched through more connections with our fellow travelers, at the airport and, generally, as we move through life? 

But even if we are just hurrying by the art work, elevating a utilitarian environment from drab, dark, or uninspiring to creative, bright, and joyful would certainly have an effect on the way we feel about that environment, if only subconsciously. That might be incentive enough to spruce up an airport. Perhaps, by shifting our thoughts from hectic schedules and obligations to the beauty and creativity around us, we alleviate some of the stress associated with traveling these days. And if, in the process, we exchange a smile of appreciation with our neighbor, so much the better.      

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